


Danish Butter Cookies

by ludolefebvre



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, First Meetings, Fluff, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-26
Updated: 2016-02-26
Packaged: 2018-05-23 09:25:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6112138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ludolefebvre/pseuds/ludolefebvre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Mathias is being unnecessarily loud in the dorm's communal kitchen at 3 AM, and Ari is very angry, but also hungry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Danish Butter Cookies

It was the sound of metal clanging against tile that woke Ari from his much-deserved slumber. His eyes flew open and he froze for a moment, trying to determine the source of the noise. Nothing in his room, he hoped. He rolled over and grabbed his phone off of the windowsill, tapping it on. It was 3 AM.

 

There was another clang, then a grinding, whirring noise. Ari's sleepy brain came to the realization that someone was in the communal kitchen across from his room.

 

God, he hated this room placement. Being by the kitchen was bad enough when you wanted a nap in the afternoon, but who the hell was in there at 3 in the _fucking_ morning?

 

Ari laid in bed for around ten minutes, waiting for whatever dickhead who was cooking in the wee hours of the night to tucker themselves out and go to bed. Instead, he heard the beeping of the oven being pre-heated. For fuck's sake.

 

He'd had enough. Ari wasn't usually a confrontational person, but he drew the line at someone messing with his sleep. He climbed out of bed, almost slipping on a pile of papers, and pulled his robe on. He made sure that the belt was cinched securely and put on his slippers before he cracked his door open. Yep, the light was on in the kitchen, and now someone was using the sink.

 

Ari padded across the hall slowly, peeking into the kitchen. Oh, no. It was that big guy from the third floor, the one with the broad shoulders and crazy hair who always wore sports jerseys. Ari tried to remember his name but drew a blank. What was he supposed to do now? He cleared his throat awkwardly, and got no response from the boy, who had his back turned to him. He was washing dishes, specifically the big mixing bowls and a rolling pin.

 

“Hey,” Ari said, voice a bit croaky from disuse. He coughed. “Um, excuse me?” He held his breath. No answer. Ari frowned and marched over to the boy, and tapped him on the shoulder before he could chicken out.

 

The bigger boy jumped violently, dropping his dish and sponge and splashing water everywhere. Ari realized belatedly that he had been wearing headphones. The boy whipped around to stare wide-eyed at Ari, pulling out his earbuds with wet fingers.

 

“Can I help you?”

 

Ari licked his lips, suddenly nervous. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, before coming up with, “You're- you're being very loud.”

 

The blond boy's eyebrows shot up towards his hairline. “Oh, crap, sorry! I was listening to music. I guess I was clattering about, eh?”

 

“Yes, I was trying to sleep.” Ari crossed his arms self-consciously, but the other boy seemed to take it as a display of aggression. He clamoured to apologize, but Ari continued. “What are you even doing up so late?”

 

“Oh, I-” the boy reached up to scratch the back of his head bashfully- “I couldn't sleep at all. And I was craving sweets.”

 

Ari looked over the boy's shoulder, noticing the baking sheet full of cookie dough set atop the stove. “Ah.”

 

“I'm sorry I woke you. I'll be more quiet. Here, um- if you want to stay up a few more minutes, that is- you can have some fresh cookies! As an apology.”

 

Ari quirked an eyebrow. His stomach growled softly. “... What kind of cookies?”

 

“Danish butter cookies.” The boy grinned.

 

Ari pretended to mull it over. “Alright. I accept your apology.” He sat down on one of the stools by the counter and heard the oven ding again. The taller boy opened the oven carefully and slid the cookie sheet onto the top rack.

 

“So, I guess you have the room across from here? You're Ari.”

 

Ari looked up. “How do you- I mean, yeah,” he responded, realizing that he'd never bothered to take the name tag off of his door after Frosh Week.

 

“I'm Mathias,” the boy smiled, going back to washing dishes. “I've seen you around campus a lot. What's your major?”

 

“Anthropology,” Ari answered. “Yours?”

 

“Medieval history.” Mathias set a dish on the drying rack. “First year is kind of boring, though. I wish I could work on my thesis already.”  
  
Ari gave a noncommital grunt, tracing designs on the counter with his fingertip. The two remained silent until Mathias finished with the dishes. He came and sat next to Ari, much to the smaller boy's surprise. He tried to think of something interesting to say, but the only thing that came out was, “You know, I always assumed you were in third year or something. You look older than first.”

 

Mathias sat up a bit straighter. “Well, thanks!”

 

Ari shrugged. “You could probably get into the bar without a fake ID.”

 

“Eh, bars look fun. Especially when the beer is cheap.”

 

“I'm not much a fan of beer.”

 

“What do you drink, then?”

 

“Wine. Or spirits.”

 

Mathias nodded. Ari had the sudden mental image of Mathias trying to hold a wine glass in his large hands. He snorted, then flushed, covering his face.

 

“What was that?” Mathias looked amused.

 

“Noth- it was nothing,” Ari said quickly. Mathias shrugged.

 

“Okay.” He looked down at his shirt, still soaked from his splash attack at the sink. He looked thoughtful for a second before stripping the shirt off, much to Ari's embarrassment.

“I'm gonna hang it over the oven door so it'll dry,” Mathias explained. Ari nodded quickly, swallowing. He tried not to admire Mathias' bare back and arms as he crossed the kitchen in just his sweatpants, but he had to acknowledge that the man was well-built.

 

When Mathias sat back down, Ari realized with slight chagrin that he was eye-level with Mathias' collarbone. He quickly looked away, the image of Mathias' broad shoulders practically burned into his retinas.

 

“I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I can go grab another shirt,” Mathias said, and Ari realized that he must be bright red, if the burning feeling in his cheeks was anything to go by.

 

“No, it's fine. It's just hot in here.” Ari rubbed his arm, staring at the counter. Mathias laid his arms and head down on the countertop so he could look at Ari's face, then jumped up. “Eesh! That's cold!”

 

“Hey,” he continued, poking Ari's arm. “Am I dreaming or did you just crack a smile for me?”

 

Ari resisted the urge to look away, and instead stuck his tongue out. “Don't be ridiculous.”

 

The two locked eyes for a moment until the oven beeped again. Mathias jumped up. “They're ready!” Ari waited as Mathias put on his oven mitts- which was a bizarre sight, this great shirtless man in just oven mitts and sweatpants, excitedly pulling a batch of cookies out of the dorm oven at three in the morning. He watched as Mathias set the cookies on a rack to cool.

 

“Just a few minutes, now,” Mathias smiled, pulling off the oven mitts to rub his hands together in glee. “I haven't had these in forever. My mom just sent me the recipe from back home.”

 

Ari blinked his long eyelashes, looking at the cookies. Gorgeous and golden-brown around the edges. Mathias caught the impressed look on Ari's face and beamed.

 

“I think I did a good job,” he said. Ari agreed, fiddling with his robe. “Don't forget your shirt,” he said, nodding to to the oven.

 

“Oh, right!” Mathias exclaimed, grabbing his shirt. He felt the front. “Ah, still damp, but it's warm,” he laughed, holding it to his face. He kept the shirt in one hand and used the other to grab a plate. He plucked a few cookies off of the cooling rack and slid the plate over to Ari. “Guests first.”

 

Ari took a cookie and slowly bit into it. He raised his eyebrows, making an involuntary noise of content as the dense, buttery sweet melted on his tongue. Mathias was watching him, looking incredibly like a puppy.

 

“It's good,” Ari stated simply.

 

“Yay! You like it.” Mathias clapped his hands together, then popped a cookie in his mouth. “Sorry again for waking you up,” he said, his voice muffled by the dessert in his mouth.

 

“It's okay,” Ari sighed, scarfing down the rest of his cookie. “It was worth it. You're a good baker.”

 

They stayed in the kitchen until almost half of the cookies had been eaten. “Hey,” Mathias said suddenly, “this is going to sound stupid... but I have an academic banquet to go to next week, and I'm allowed to bring a plus one, so...”

 

Ari tilted his head, waiting.

 

“So maybe you wouldn't mind coming with me? I mean, it's free food, and it shouldn't be _too_ boring, so... yeah. It's Tuesday night?”

 

“I'm free Tuesday,” said Ari. “I guess I can come.”

 

Mathias' face lit up like he'd won the lottery. “Great! I mean, I kind of owe you, I still feel like an ass for waking you up.”

 

“Seriously, it's nothing. I don't have class 'til noon tomorrow anyway.” Ari stood up, grabbing a few cookies for the road. “So, see you Tuesday?”

 

“I'll come by your room at six, if that's okay. You have a shirt and tie?”

 

Ari nodded, then smirked. “Should I colour-coordinate my outfit with yours? You know, since I'm your date?”

 

Ari hadn't known that people as seemingly confident as Mathias could blush so deeply. “I- you don't have to- I mean, I'll be wearing a red shirt with a black tie, so...”

 

“Good.” Ari smiled. “Thanks for the cookies, Mathias. Goodnight.”

 

Ari walked back to his room, oblivious to Mathias pumping his fist in victory behind him.

 

Danish butter cookies and a date with a very attractive man- he'd been woken up for worse reasons.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this pointless drivel. Check out the rest of my AO3 for more DenIce, as well as my tumblr! ludolefebvre.tumblr.com


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